Display carton



June 1962 F. A. CHIDSEY, JR 3,040,877

DISPLAY CARTON Filed Oct. 13. 1960 ilni fates I 1 This invention relates to a carton particularly suited to display its contents effectively and additionally designed to provide simple and rapid sealing of the contents within the carton, as well as providing for quick and easy access to such contents.

The carton herein disclosed is particularly useful in the packaging of sliced products such as bacon, or small articles, such as handkerchiefs, hosiery, pillow cases, paper specialties and other goods, basically classed as nodepth items, where an important consideration is to be able easily to pack and seal the goods free from entry of dirt or contamination and at the same time enable the purchaser of the goods to examine them and readily determine their quality.

A principal object of the invention is to provide an improved display carton that may be delivered in blank form to the packer and which is so constructed as to enable the goods contained within the carton to be completely enclosed and securely sealed beneath a transparent closure panel in a rapid and effective manner and with relatively simple equipment.

Additional and more specific objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the drawings:

PEG. 1 is a perspective view of the carton as it appears in its filled and sealed condition;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged scale cross-sectional view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1, showing the arrangement of the transparent facing or cover panel with respect to the infolded narrow edge panels;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, enlarged scale plan view indicating the areas over which the facing panel is secured to the inturned edge panels;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3 to show the arrangement of the meeting end portions of the narrow, inturned panels;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the paperboard blank constituting the main body of the carton construction; and

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the facing panel or cover.

As shown in FIG. 5 the carton is preferably formed from a generally rectangular blank of folding paperboard, cut and scored to provide a main panel 1, which may be termed the bottom or back portion, with side and narrow panels 2, 3, 4 and 5 carried on the edges of panel 1. The narrow panels are defined from panel 1 by crease or score lines 6, 7, 8 and 9 to facilitate folding the narrow panels into positions overlying the main panel.

The narrow panels are cut so that the ends of some of the panels overlap the ends of adjacent panels. Further, the end portions of the panels are constructed in such manner as to interengage when the panels are infolded to positions where they are disposed at a small angle relative to the plane of the main panel 1. For this purpose two opposite panels, which in the present instance are the longer panels 4 and 5, are cut away at their ends along diagonal lines indicated at 10, 10'.

Special shaped scores 11, 11 are impressed in the panels 2 and 3 extending diagonally across the ends of these panels defining corner parts 12, 12. These scores may be produced by a relatively wide scoring rule to create a atent fitice well defined diagonal rib or abutment on the exposed 3,040,877. Patented June .26, 1962 faces of the infolded panels 2 and 3. See FIG. 4. The score is preferably formed so that the triangular corner parts 12, 12 will tend to assume a position in which their planes will be oifset below the plane of the main body of the narrow panel, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. The extent of offset is preferably equal to the thickness of the paperboard employed so that smooth joints are formed at the corners.

The angles of the diagonal ends 10 and the diagonal abutments provided by scores 11 are such that, when the narrow panels are infolded by first folding panels 2 and 3 and then folding panels 4 and 5 to overlie the ends of panels 2 and 3, the edges 10 will engage against the abutment ribs of scores 11 before the panels 2 and 3 can be swung into flat contact with the main panel 1. The result is that the narrow panels will tend normally to be held in positions inclined upwardly at small angles over the main panel 1 as illustrated. In the present instance the scores 11, 11 are each formed at an angle approximately 45 to the respective fold lines 6 and 7 and the edges 10, 1d are cut along lines inclined at ap proximately 48 to 50 to the respective fold lines 8 and 9. The exact angularity is not important and the angles of scores 11 and edges 11? may be somewhat altered provided that the sum of their angles from the respective adjacent edges of the main panel, as defined by fold lines 6, 7, 8 and 9, is slightly in excess of The particular degree of angularity of the narrow panels when in their infolded condition may be varied to suit the type of goods to be contained in the carton. It is obvious that, when the angles of the scores 11 and edges 10 are kept uniform for each corner of the carton, it will be an easy matter to produce neat and symmetrical packages, especially in hand packing, without the need for particular skill on the part of persons engaged in such packing.

After the goods to be packed within the carton are deposited on the main panel 1 the narrow panels are infolded over the edges of the contents and a facing or cover panel 14 will then be applied. This facing panel is preferably in the form of a thin, flexible transparent sheet of suitable plastic material of a size approximately equal to that of the main panel 1. The facing panel is placed over the partly formed package with the edges of the facing panel located along the hinge lines of the infolded narrow panels. In the preferred form a type of material is employed for the facing panel which may be caused to adhere to the paperboard panels by simultaneous application of heat and pressure. Transparent film material of this type is well known. The facing panel is preferably caused to adhere to the narrow paperboard panels around the perimeter of the facing panel and along the hinge lines of the infolded panels. The width of the area of adherence of the facing panel is indicated in FIG. 3 extending between the dotted lines 15 and the outer margins of the facing panel. If desired, the edge portions of the facing panel may be adhesively secured to the infolded panels.

In the event it is desired to facilitate opening of the package severance lines 16, 16 (see FIG. 3) are formed along two or more edges of the facing panel. Such lines may be formed by perforations or spaced cuts or in any other desired manner. It is to be noted. that, since the severance lines are located over the narrow paperboard panels, perforations in the facing panel will not detract appreciably from the ability of such panel to serve as a moisture-vapor barrier and thus the contents may be readily retained in the desired condition. The provision of a relatively smooth joint at the corners of the package also tends to enable the facing panel to form a tight seal.

ens-oer? When it is desired to remove a portion of the contents and afterward reclose the carton the facing panel may be severed along two or more sides and one or more of the narrow panels folded outward. Thus, a convenient manner of obtaining access to the contents is to sever the facing panel along one of the overlying panels, such as panel 5, and then along the two panels 2 and 3. The small widths of facing panel at the corners may readily be broken and panels 2, 3 and 5 may be folded outward. The corner portions 12, 12 on panels 2 and 3 which underlie the ends of panel 4 may easily be moved out from beneath the end of panel i thus allowing this panel to remain infolded if such is desired. The facing panel, having been released on three sides and remaining attached to panel 4, may be swung away from closing position. A part of the contents may then be removed and the narrow panels may then be returned to their original inturned position after which the facing panel is returned to position over the contents and so allowed to remain until further access is required.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the present invention provides a neat and attractive carton capable of giving a high degree of protection to its contents. The carton may be loaded and quickly closed and sealed and due to the interfitting provisions at the corners, satisfactory packages may be produced by relatively unskilled operators. When utilizing facing panels capable of being sealed in place by heat and pressure mechanical expedients may readily be employed-to speed the packing process.

While the present description sets forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, various changes may be made in the construction without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. Ashallow-depth carton formed of foldable paperboard comprising a rectangular bottom panel, narrow panels hinged along the sides of the bottom panel, at

least two adjacent narrow panels having end portions arranged to overlap when folded over the bottom panel, one of such panels having its end edge out to extend diagonally outward from the corner of the bottom panel toward a line passing transversely across such panel, the end portion of the other narrow panel having impressed therein an angular score line to define a corner part of the end or" the narrow panel, such score line being non-symmetrical, whereby the plane of the corner part is offset downwardly of the plane of its panel, thereby forming a diagonally extending abutment on the exposed surface of the panel when infolded over the bottom panel, the sum of the angle of the diagonal abutment with respect to the hinge of the scored narrow panel and the angle of the diagonal end of the adjoining panel to its hinge being slightly in eXcess of whereby, when the scored panel is first infolded, the diagonal end of the adjacent panel, when likewise unfolded, will engage such abutment and tend to maintain the meeting portions of the narrow panels in fixed angular relation to the bottom panel.

2. A display carton, as defined in claim 1, in which the plane of the corner part is offset downwardly of the plane of its panel by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the paperboard, whereby a smooth joint is provided between the ends of the adjacent, overlapping, narrow panels.

3. A display carton as defined in claim 2, in combination with a flexible, transparent panel of a size comparable to the bottom panel of the carton, said flexible panel having its marginal edge portions secured to the exposed surfaces of the narrow infolded panels, said flexible panel being disposed smoothly over the joint between said adjacent narrow panel ends.

France Dec. 29, 1954 Great Britain Aug. 13, 1953 

